India has witnessed a substantial rise in female labour force participation rate, LFPR particularly in rural areas, from 2017-18 to 2022-23. A research paper on Female Labour Force Participation Rate stated that rural female LFPR surged from 24.6% to 41.5% while urban LFPR rose modestly from 20.4% to 25.4%, from 2017-18 to 2022-23. In rural areas, significant increases are seen in states like Jharkhand with 233% growth and Bihar with six-fold growth. Northeastern states have also showed remarkable growth.
Married women in rural areas showed higher participation growth compared to unmarried women. States like Rajasthan and Jharkhand displayed significant growth, particularly among married women. Among the northern states, Punjab and Haryana continued to have low female LFPR. Among the eastern states, rural Bihar had the lowest LFPR in the country, but has shown significant improvements in the recent years – especially for rural married women. Among the Northeastern states, there have been remarkable growth in rural areas, with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh leading.
The research paper stated that there have been numerous schemes of the government, especially targeting rural women over the last ten years. These include Mudra loans, Drone Didi scheme and Self Help Groups mobilised under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana.
